Personality Disorder
[/ux_text] [/col] [/row] [/section] [section] [row v_align=”equal”] [col span=”6″ span__sm=”12″ padding=”20px 10px 10px 10px” border=”1px 1px 1px 1px” border_radius=”17″]Core Features of Personality Disorders
The patterns associated with personality disorders are typically seen in two or more of the following areas:
1. Cognition: Ways of perceiving and interpreting oneself, other people, and events.
2. Affectivity: The range, intensity, lability, and appropriateness of emotional responses.
3. Interpersonal Functioning: How a person relates to others.
4. Impulse Control: The ability to control behaviors and urges.
The Three Clusters
Personality disorders are often grouped into three clusters based on descriptive similarities.
Cluster A: The “Odd or Eccentric” Cluster
· Paranoid Personality Disorder: A pattern of distrust and suspiciousness, such that others’ motives are interpreted as malevolent.
· Schizoid Personality Disorder: A pattern of detachment from social relationships and a restricted range of emotional expression.
· Schizotypal Personality Disorder: A pattern of acute discomfort in close relationships, cognitive or perceptual distortions, and eccentricities of behavior.
Cluster B: The “Dramatic, Emotional, or Erratic” Cluster
· Antisocial Personality Disorder: A pattern of disregard for, and violation of, the rights of others. (This is often associated with a history of conduct disorder in youth.)
· Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD): A pattern of instability in interpersonal relationships, self-image, and affects, and marked impulsivity. Key features include a profound fear of abandonment, chronic feelings of emptiness, intense and unstable relationships, and self-harming behavior.
· Histrionic Personality Disorder: A pattern of excessive emotionality and attention-seeking.
· Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD): A pattern of grandiosity, need for admiration, and a lack of empathy.
Cluster C: The “Anxious and Fearful” Cluster
· Avoidant Personality Disorder: A pattern of social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, and hypersensitivity to negative evaluation.
· Dependent Personality Disorder: A pattern of submissive and clinging behavior related to an excessive need to be taken care of.
· Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD): A pattern of preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and mental and interpersonal control, at the expense of flexibility, openness, and efficiency. (Note: This is different from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), which is an anxiety disorder.)
Causes and Risk Factors
The development of personality disorders is understood through a biopsychosocial model:
· Genetics: Some disorders have a heritable component.
· Brain Structure and Function: Differences in brain areas that regulate impulse control, emotion, and aggression have been observed.
· Childhood Trauma: A strong correlation exists between personality disorders (especially BPD) and a history of abuse, neglect, or instability in childhood.
· Environmental Factors: Chaotic family life, invalidation, and certain parenting styles can contribute.
· Temperament: A person’s innate personality style can be a risk factor.
Why They Are Challenging to Diagnose and Treat
1. Ego-syntonic Nature: Unlike depression, which feels alien and unpleasant (ego-dystonic), the patterns of a personality disorder often feel consistent with the person’s identity (ego-syntonic). The person may believe “This is just who I am,” and blame others for their problems.
2. Comorbidity: It’s common for individuals to have more than one personality disorder or to also struggle with conditions like depression, anxiety, or substance abuse, which can complicate the picture.
3. Stigma: The term “personality disorder” itself can be stigmatizing, as it can be misinterpreted as a character flaw rather than a legitimate mental health condition.
For Beginners:
[divider width=”515px” height=”1px”] [/col] [col span=”6″ span__sm=”12″ padding=”20px 10px 10px 10px” border=”1px 1px 1px 1px” border_radius=”17″]For Coaches:
[divider width=”515px” height=”1px”]Psychopathology and Integral Deep Listening
[/col] [/row] [row v_align=”equal”] [col span=”6″ span__sm=”12″ padding=”20px 10px 10px 10px” border=”1px 1px 1px 1px” border_radius=”17″]For Practitioners:
[divider width=”515px” height=”1px”]Dealing with Difficult People: IDL and Personality Disorders
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